


Fire & Salt

by Emily_Sophie



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, F/F, Minor Character Death, POV Asha & Arianne, descriptions of burning and smoke, descriptions of drowning, fighting warrior queens, lots of magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-13 15:28:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14751507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_Sophie/pseuds/Emily_Sophie
Summary: When the Lannisters had found out about Arianne’s betrothal with Viserys her father Doran sent her to the Grejoys as a secret warden since Balon’s daughter Asha had disappeared in a storm. Not knowing Arianne is actually the heiress of  Sunspear, Lord Balon raised her as his own child and taught her the ways of the Ironborn. Together they sail the sea, fight monsters and protect their people. But their biggest battle has not been fought yet. Euron Greyjoy is on his way back to Pyke.Will Asha raise from the sea to protect her family once and for all?





	1. Asha

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amitye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amitye/gifts).



> I wrote this for Ilaria for the [asoiafrarepairswap](https://asoiafrarepairswap.tumblr.com/)  
> It took me a while to think of a scenario that might fit to what you asked for but I think found one and I'm really happy with it <3  
> I've finished the second chapter (I do have to edit it first tho) and I started the third one already. Hope you like it!

 

A storm had been tormenting Pyke for weeks now. It was stronger than usual and the sporadic storm tides kept them from sailing anywhere. The winds were howling around the towers and through the hallways and the entire castle shuddered from the cold. There hadn't been a storm this bad for years, not as long as Asha could remember. It was like the island had held its breath and time had stopped.  Their soldiers had grown restless and she could feel her bones itching for the sea. Her parents were fighting again. Their screams mingled with the sound of the rain and kept her from sleeping. Night for night they yelled.  

 

Things had changed after their rebellion. Theon at Winterfell, Rodrik and Maron dead.

 

Her mother had not spoken for weeks and now all she did was scream. Two years had passed but things hadn't changed. Their loud yelling, the sound of the waves hitting the rocks and the wind howling had now turned into a gruesome lullaby, screaming at her, pleading her to run away as fast as possible.

 

Usually, she would join her father on raids and sail for weeks. When they returned the fights had calmed down and when they started again, they would leave. But now they couldn’t, and the fights grew worse with every night.

 

The storm had reached its peak and the seal skins, that were covering the windows, flapped loudly. Her washing basin had fallen down hours ago and she was shivering under her blankets. A loud bang over her made Asha flinch and she crawled deeper into her covers.  The screams were as loud and clear as if her parents were standing right next to her. The storm grew louder, and every inch of her body urged her to run and hide. Glaring light flooded her room and the shadows on her wall seemed to move towards her. Loud thunder crashed almost immediately afterward but the shadows did not go away. Instead, they came closer and loud whispers filled the air around her.

 

Smoke filled her room and the cold was gone in an instant. The whispers drowned out all the other noise and the shadows were almost touching her. Asha screamed and ran towards the door.

 

The shadows followed her as she stumbled down the stairs and through the hallways. Distant drumming filled her ears and deep voices sang a cryptic shanty. She couldn't feel the stone under her feet and the exit seemed miles away.

 

She ran faster. Her breath hitched. The shadows came closer, formed a hand and grabbed her ankle as she stumbled through the door and fell into the pouring rain. Her hands and knees were bleeding and her ankle was dark and bloody. She stumbled to her feet and looked back. The shadows hovered in the door. Waiting and reaching. Like arms parts of it reached out into the rain and pulled back, over and over again. The dark shadows grew and soon they filled the entire door. It looked like it was swallowing all the light around it.

 

The whispers grew louder.  And suddenly it took a step outside. Asha shuddered.

 

A layer of hot air had formed around the shadows and the water was now evaporating fast. The Shadows dissolved into one big blob. It came closer and the warm air hovered over her skin. She screamed once again and ran towards the sea. The stone was slick and she almost fell multiple times but she didn't care.

 

She ran down towards the haven, towards her little ship, not sure what to do. She had to get away from this monster, had to move fast, the stiches in her side made breathing hard, her teeth were clattering but she didn't care.  Asha ran down the stairs, was almost there. Her eyes were blind from the rain and she was completely relying on her memory. She didn't know if the shadows were still behind her and she did not dare to look. Something grabbed her arm. She flinched. Ran faster. Onto the pier. Faster. Then she bumped into someone.

 

They fell to the ground, tumbled around and almost plunged into the water. Saltwater splashed onto her face and into her eyes and it took a few moments until she was able to see who was hovering over her.

 

"Uncle Euron." she exclaimed relieved and hugged him. "You have to help me!" She turned her head towards the castle. "There was a monster, shadows and they were trying to..." She stopped.

 

Euron was looking at her, cold and calculating. He wasn't hugging her, hadn't even moved and Asha quickly removed herself from him. She stepped back and looked at him. The shadows under his eyes were darker than usual and none of his laughter lines were visible. His mouth was pressed into a thin hard line. Water was running into his eyes, but he didn't try to stop it.

 

He just stood and watched her. Panic arose in her chest. She stormed forwards and started shaking his arm. "Uncle Euron!"

 

With a swift movement he grabbed her by the throat and raised her up. Asha's screams turned into a gurgle and her legs kicked helplessly in the air. She grabbed his hands, scratched and tried to get him off but it was pointless.  Euron's lips turned into a cruel smile as he walked towards the end of the pier. Asha had stopped struggling, her breaths were shallow, and her vision started turning grey. Euron stepped down into the ocean, lowered his grip and Asha gasped for air.

 

Fear flooded her body, the water tugged on her clothes, but she was not able to stand. She swam desperately, locked tightly in his grip, as she looked up to her uncle.

 

A dark crown of shadows had formed on his head. It was moving, twisting and it seemed to pierce through his head. He smiled again when he spoke: "It's time for you to meet the drowned god once and for all. Time to grow up my child."

 

He pressed her under the water again, deeper than before. Her feet were hitting the sand, her hands scratching his arms. Her body was aching for air and before she could stop herself, Asha opened her mouth and breathed in. Saltwater was filling her mouth as her lungs expanded and her vision started fading. She had stopped struggling and body was floating in the water, her uncle's hand the only thing keeping her steady.

 

There was no thought in her mind only longing for air. Fear and despair. And the last thing she felt was a hand on her arm, dragging her deeper down into the dark void.

 


	2. Arianne

Her feet were dangling from the mast and the air smelled like salt. They had been on their way for weeks now and she was bored beyond comparison. Arianne had read all the books her father had given her and none of the crewman was interested in fighting her anymore.

She had helped them sailing until she grew bored, had cooked meals and even helped to fix the sails and boots of the crew. The wind was blowing strong. They were sailing fast, the shore always in sight. She wasn't sure if the men weren't just able to navigate or if it had a greater meaning, but she didn't care.

She remembered too vividly, when her father had told her she had to leave. She had been visiting her cousins in the springs just after training, when he called her.

His face looked grimmer than usual and it smelled like they hadn't cleaned him in days. His feet were open and festering and his nails had left marks in his palms. Chills crawled over her shoulders and dread filled her stomach. He had never seen him look so worried and sad at the same time. She sat down, and he offered her tea and cookies. Quentin and her mother had left them months ago and even then, he had not looked as grim as he was looking now.

The taste of the cactus fig tea left a bitter taste in her mouth. This was bad. She took one of the cookies, her hands shaking.

Calmly her father explained to her how he had arranged an engagement to Viserys Targaryen. He had wanted her to rule the Seven Kingdoms by his side and Quentin should have taken her place as Lord of Sunspear. But Tywin Lannister found out before they had been able to finalize any negotiations. He had given her father a choice. Either she would join the Silent Sisters or the Lannister’s would send somebody to have her killed. And gracious as he was, Tywin had already arranged an escort party that would take her to Kings Landing.

Hot and sharp anger flared up in her. Who was some Lannister to decide on what she did or did not do? He wasn’t even the king! It had been her decision to marry that Targaryen prince. Why would they punish her?

Doran took her hands into his own. He tried to ease her anger, but it had taken a while for her to calm down. She wasn’t shaking anymore but her nostrils were still fluttering.

The truth stood out there. Unwavering. It didn’t matter if she believed or not.

The Lannister’s didn't care for her engagement. They knew that her father had enough children. They didn't care that she would have inherited the throne.

No, they wanted to punish her parents for embarrassing their rule and questioning their authority and how beneficial would it be if she accidently died on her way to Kings Landing. Her father tried to assure her, that the Lannister’s didn't dare to risk an open war. They weren’t the rulers, held no real power and Tywin served best when he manipulated and threatened people.

He was a master at political chess, but her father was his match. Her mother would have disagreed, but Arianne didn’t care. He would get her out of this. Eventually he would send someone to take her home. She would take her destined place. Sooner or later it would be hers.

And until then she just had to play her part. Manipulation and deception. And when she came back she would be the best at it. Nobody expects the dead to raise again.

Arianne smiled and raised her face into the sun. She was Asha Greyjoy now. The daughter of Sir Balon. Sole remaining child, an unremarkable fighter, silent but strong. She'd have to learn to deal with the men, pretend like she was a subordinate and yet plotting against them at the same time.

Her family had taught her well. It had been a brief time, only two weeks, before she had "died" in that horrible accident.

The biggest challenge had been to die in public. She had to be perfectly visible to the arriving party but in a way that would not require them to look at her body afterwards. One of her “aunts” had suggested to use a fake body but the anger that had flared up in her father's eyes had quickly removed that suggestion from the table.

Eventually they had decided to stage an accident were she initially burned and then was buried under a horse carriage. It had taken almost two days for figure out how to do it in the safest way possible, and yet she had still gotten more than a few burns and scars from it.

Arianne didn't particularly care about the scars. But it had taken weeks to wash off the gasoline and she was very grateful that they weren't able to use open flames on the ship. Closed lamps didn't bother her much but the camp fires they lit on their way to the shores had made her feel nauseous. Even the thought of it made her shiver.

She took a deep breath and focused on the wind in her hair. She was safe. There was no fire close to her and she would be allowed to sail the ship with her new father most of the times.

They hadn't been able to infiltrate their men or get an informant beforehand. She had been afraid, but her uncle had just smiled confidently and promised her that she would be safe there. No rumors meant to leaks to the Lannister’s and just like them they had bent the knee only to rise again, stronger and more vicious than before.

A bell rang below her and tore Arianne out of her thoughts. She jumped down, grabbed a rope and landed swiftly on the deck. She smiled in anticipation. 

It was time to learn fighting like the Ironborn did.

 

 


	3. Arianne - The Storm

A few years later

 

The wind was howling loudly and storm was so bad that Arianne was not able to tell what was rain and what was ocean water. Her clothes were soaked and her left hand was bleeding. Bolts of lightning were illuminating the dark sky and the rolling thunder didn't seem to stop. Their ship was buffeted by the waves and only the thick rope around her belly kept her from falling into the sea.

 

Her foster father had his arm slung over her shoulder. He was groaning weakly and she carrying all of his weight, walking slowly towards their smaller sailing boats. The sails were shred to pieces and the mast loomed in a dangerous angle. They had tried to outsail the storm but one after another their men had taken their turn to puke into the ocean and eventually to crawl overboard. Arianne had tried to keep them from falling, had tied them down but they had opened the knots with a accuracy and speed that had made her question her sanity.

 

In the end it was just her and Balon left. A few men had stayed under deck but she wasn't sure if they were still there. She had been too busy with the sails and when Balon had started to show signs of the sickness as well she had tried to do her best to keep him from harm. She had been forced to knock him out, afraid that he would follow his men and now that he slowly regained his consciousness her only hope was to get to their smaller boat as fast as possible.

 

They hadn't been far from the shore when the storm hit them but the weather made it impossible to see how far they had drifted off course. She wasn't sure if it helped to use a smaller boat, but at least this one she could control. Balon groaned again as a sharp gust of wind hit them and nearly blew them overboard. She held him tight and he struggled in her embrace. He almost hit her into her face with his elbow but she managed to calm him down once again.

 

Arianne wasn't sure what had happened to their crew. At first she thought they might have been poisoned but she had drunk the same liquors and eaten the same fish that they had and she was not affected at all. Another curious thing she had noticed was, that they had been affected one by one. She wasn't sure why and how but the illness had taken the least important person on board first and slowly but surely it had taken over all the important crew. Everyone but not her.

 

A plank hit her in the side and a sharp pain throbbed through her body. She cursed loudly but every noise was drowned by the howling wind. Arianne dragged Balon closer to the small boat. He groaned again but didn’t resist her. Suddenly the rope tightened up quickly and she almost fell down. She cursed again and turned around. A broken barrel had been tangled into the rope. She pulled it, tried to get the barrel pieces out of the rope but it didn’t work. A heavy wave hit the ship and the bow was now leaning dangerously close to the water. Balon started sliding of her shoulder.

 

Her hands shook as she opened the knot on her stomach. She freed Balon as well and pushed him back onto her shoulder. The swell was strong and she staggered on her last steps to the boat. Arianne had just finished lifting the big man into the boat when a loud crack made the deck shiver and a high wave tilted the entire ship. The boat left its anchorage immediately. She grabbed the edge of it.

 

The sensation of the cold water hit her like a shock. She was breathing fast and her arms hurt. The boat was moving fast but after a while she managed to climb on board again. The waves drifted them away from the ship. It was slowly breaking apart but the rain was too heavy and soon it was out of sight. Balon hadn't moved a bit and she had to pull him to the other side of the boat so she could set the sails up. She wasn’t able to do much, had no idea where they were going but at least she could make sure they weren’t drowning. Luckily she still had her leather pouch attached to her belt, so they would at least have a bit of drinking water left.

 

The seawater had made her mouth dry and enjoyed the feeling of water running down her sore throat. She put the bag away, made sure Balon was still breathing and then she realized they were sailing towards big sharp rocks.

 

Her relief of being close to the shore was soon replaced by panic. They waves were strong and she was not able to turn around in time. She cursed loudly, by now more a habit than everything, and turned towards the sails.

 

Maybe if she was fast enough, she could use the rope to tie Balon close to her, before they hit any rocks?

 

She hadn't finished her thought, hadn't even moved, when the ship leaned sideways. Arianne leaped forward and held close to Balon as she watched them drift away from the rocks and back into the ocean again.

 

Relief flooded her for a millisecond.

 

Then she turned around and saw the huge wave forming behind them. The water was stacking up and the wave was getting bigger and bigger, looming over their little ship.  Arianne was able to see the foam and the bubbles inside the water. She tried to move the boat again but there was no point. They were at the mercy of the sea right now. She wasn’t sure how long it had been when the wave crashed above her and upset their boat.

 

Everything was happening in slow motion. Lightning struck the ocean afar and illuminated the water. Asha hit the water again and cold water flowed into her clothes. She shivered, disoriented, swallowed water and realized.

 

This was it. This was the place where she was going to die. Alone in the ocean. Far away from home.

 

She moved fast, shot back to the surface, took a deep breath and coughed. Her clothes were heavy and her boots were dragging her down.

 

A big wave pressed her underwater again. Bubbles clouded her vision and a heavy plank hit her head. Everything was spinning around her and she could feel herself losing consciousness, when a strong hand packed her and dragged her back to the surface.

 

Her vision started to flicker and she thought she had seen a big fin, when suddenly everything turned black.

 


End file.
